Improved machine for framing matches



UNITED STATES.

PATENT Ormea JACOB BENTZ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. f

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,808, dated June 26, 1866.

To all 'whom 'it may concern.-

Y Be it known that I, JACOB BENTZ, of Brooklyn, Eastern District, Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Framing Match-Splints for Dipping and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and correct description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference thereon.

Figure lof the drawings is a plan view of the machine 5 Fig. 2, section through red line m x of Fig. l; Fig. 3, section through red line y y of Fig. l; Fig. 4, elevation of clamp or frame for holding matches.

The first part of my invention consists in the employment of a loose box or frame in the hopper in which the match-splints are placed to. be fed into the machine, said loose box or frame being set into the hopper loosely, so that it will move up and down in the hopper, to avoid cutting and jamming match-splints, by the reciprocating movement of the hopper. This loose box or frame has a series of cross blades or divisions at or near the bottom, a scraper on the front lower edge, and a follower or hat weight to keep the match-splints down, the operation of the whole being to scrape the match-splints placed within the box when in the hopper over a grooved bed, so as to till the grooves of the bed with match-splints.

The second part of my invention consists in dividing the grooved bed in two parts, the front part being hinged to the rear part and secured in place by a button or other suitable device when the machine is in action, the division and joint being made for the purpose of letting down the front part of the grooved bed to remove broken splints and slivers which obstruct the action of the machine.

The third part of my invention applies to match splints of what is called double length 7 --that is, match-splints of twice the length ofthe match. Such splints are now generally used, being dipped at both ends while in the frame, and afterward, when dried, cutin two. In framing such matches in clamp-frames by sliding plungers and a grooved bed, owing to their length, they are liable to become disarranged in the clamps when pushed out beyond theend of the groovedbed, which they have to be in order to let them pass down with the clamp-frame. This part of my invention consists in a series of guides projecting from the grooved bed forward, said guides being formed from the metal of the grooved bed by slotting out the grooves in front. These guides keep the match-splints straight while the upper member of each division of the clamp-frame is being applied and while said frame with the framed splints is being lowered to receive a new layer of splints.

The fourth part of my invention consists in a combination of the frame of plungers with the match-splint-frame holder, whereby the latter is moved downward the distance of the thickness of the members of the splint-frame at each back stroke of the plunger-frame after it has pushed the matchsplints forward into the splint-frame.

But in order to more particularly describe my improvements, I will refer to the drawings by letters of reference.

I construct my machine in a case or cabinet, a, inclosed at the sides and back and having a lid, a', which may be thrown back, as shown in the drawings, to get at the plungers.

The grooved bed, which separates the matchsplints and guides them as they are thrown forward to the frames, consists of a fixed part, b, firmly secured to the side frame, and a swinging part, b', hinged to the fixed part by hinges, so as to swing downward away from the hopper and cross-bar, in order to remove slivers, broken splints, or other obstructions. This hinged part is kept in place on a level with the fixed part by a suitable dog or button, b2, on the xed part, the handle or crank of which, b3, for convenience, I place on the upper side of the bed. When fixed in position to operate the grooves in both parts coincide.

The front part of the hinged portion of the grooved bed is slotted with parallel slots b4, coinciding with the grooves, the sides of the slots forming guides for the spiints while passing into the frames, and als (the slots being of the depth of the grooved bed) serving as guides to keep the splints in place while the upper member of each clamp of the frame is put on and the frame lowered.

Two bars, c c', lie close to and across the grooves ofthe grooved bed, being secured at their ends firmly thereto. The rear bar, c, keeps the plungers in the grooves and the rear ends of the splints in line. rlhe front bar, c', keeps down the splints in the grooves when they are being thrown forward to the frame and keeps back lthe rest of the splints in the hopper. The bars are placed a little farther apart than the length of the splints.

The hopper d is placed immediately over and close to the cross-bars, and is supported by and slides back and forth across the grooved bed on guides d d2, secured to the side frames. Within the hopper is placed loosely a box or frame, e, which may be made of sheet metal. The bottom of this loose frame or box is open and has across it a series of blades or scrapers, e', to scrape or draw the splints into the grooves of the bed. There is also a scraper or blade, e2, on the front lower edge of the loose box to keep hack the splints in the box from following those inthe grooves.

A follower or ilat weight, c3, lies on the splints within the loose frame to keep them down, so as to be drawn or scraped within the grooves.

The hopper, with its inside loose frame and splints, is drawn back and forth over the grooved bed to ill the grooves with splints by means of a bent lever, j, and reacting spring g, the bent lever being connected by a link, f, from one of its arms to the hopper, and also by a link, f2, to the treadle f3.

vThe splints in the grooves of the grooved bed are projected therefrom into a match-splint frame of clamps, h, by a series of plungers, t', which lit the grooves and are attached to the back bar of a sliding frame, j, which slides in guides on the side frame, the front bar, j', of the slidingframe being in front of the machine Yfor the purpose of grasping it by the hands to move the frame back and forth.

The match-splint frame h is constructed as usual. It is supported by and rests on a sliding frame, 7c, which slides up and down in the front part of the machine in the guides 7c. The weight of this sliding' frame is supported by the counterbalance-weights k2 on each side of the machine, which are connected to the sliding frame by cords k3, ruiming over pulleys 7a4 10". The Weigh ts should be heavy enough to lift the sliding frame and the splintclamp frame to the extent of the upward motion of the .sliding frame whenever released from the mechanism used for feeding the frame. downward and holding it in position to receive layer after layer of splints until the splintframe is filled with splints.

rllhe mechanism for feeding the frame downward and holding it in position for receiving the splints is as follows Upon the sliding frame k are placed two racks, m, one on each side of the frame. A dog or catch, u, actuated by a spring, n', and pivoted on a pin, n2, screwed into the side frame, takes into the rack and vprevents the weights from lifting the frame, (unless when it is released from the rack, as hereinafter explained,) but does not interfere with the sliding frame being pushed downward, when required to putin succeeding layers of splints, by means of pawlsp, attached to levers p', which are pivoted on fulcrum-pins p2, screwed into the side frame of the machine.

The arrangement of the pawls and levers and holding-dog is the same on both sides of the machine, a view of one side being shown in Fig. 2.

The levers p', which carry the pawls p, are connected by adjustable links to cranks p3 on each end of the rock-shaft q, which extends across the machine at the rear, just below the plunger-frame, and is supported in bearings g q2. At the middle of the said rock-shaftis an arm, r, which extends upward to the rear of the plunger-frame, so that the plunger-frame, as it approaches the termination of its back movement, comes in contact With the arm, thereby giving motion to the rock-shaft levers and pawls to feed down the sliding frame the required distance.

The pawl-levers p are reacted by the springs s, the range of motion being limited by a stop, s', being placed under the levers.

When the splint-frame is filled with splints the upper bar of the clamp is put on, the screws tightened, and then it is ready to be lifted out of the machine and replaced by an empty one.

The dogs and pawls may be released by hand in order to raise the sliding frame; but for convenience I prefer to release them by mechanical means, as follows:

A crank-handle, t, is placed at the side of the machine, attached to a rocking cam-shaft, u, which passes across the machine. rlhis shaft carries short arms or cams u', which, when the shaft is turned a little by pressing on the crank-handle, push back the pawls and dogs, thereby releasing the sliding frame and permitting it to be drawn upward by the weights. The rock-shaft u also carries arms a2, to which springs a3 are connected to throw back the rock-shaft when relieved from the pressureof the hand. v

The rock-shaft is not shown in the drawings, except in section, Fig. 2, it not being deemed necessary, as the parts are the same on both sides of the machine.

The pawls p are connected with the levers p by a pin, p4, on which they swing, and being kept against the racks m by springs p5, attached. to the levers p and bearing on the pawls, they yield readily to the pressure of the releasing-cam t when it is applied.

What I claim as my invention and improvements in match-splint-framing machines is 1. In combination with the grooved bed and hopper, the loose hopper box or frame, constructed and operating substantially as described.

2. The construction of the grooved lbed in two parts, the fnont part being hinged to the rear fixed part, for the purpose of being swung down below the plane of the fixed part when pztwls and levers whereby the down-feed morequired to remove broken splints, slivers, or tion of the sliding frame is communicated p other obstructions, substantially as described. thereto by the back motion of the plunger- 3. In combination with the grooved bed, the frame.

guides or slots in front of the grooved bed,

substantially as described. JACOB BENTZ 4. In combination with the plunger-frame Witnesses:

and the front sliding,` frame which supports F. C. TREADWELL, Jr.,

the splint-frame, the rock-shaft and system of JOHN A. DUNCAN. 

